On February 22, amids concerns of a medical crisis due to collective resignations and service refusal by resident doctors protesting the government's expansion of medical school quotas, patients are waiting to register for outpatient care at Yangsan Busan National University Hospital in Yangsan, South Korea. /News1

In response to the government’s increased medical school admission quotas, professors from 39 South Korean medical schools are set to limit their work hours to 52 hours per week and reduce outpatient care. Additionally, they plan to reduce outpatient care from June 1.

This decision was made after a meeting held by the emergency committee of the Medical Professors Association of Korea, along with the Korean Intern Resident Association (KIRA) and the Korean Association of Medical Colleges.

An official from the Medical Professors Association has announced that starting from Mar. 25, they have decided to limit outpatient, surgical, and inpatient care within 52 hours per week. Additionally, from the following month, they aim to reduce outpatient care to ensure that emergency and severe patients receive stable care.

Although the measures are intended to guarantee ‘stable care’ for patients, they can be perceived as a form of protest against the government’s announcement of an increase in the admission quota for medical schools. An official from the Association also stated that from the Mar. 25, professors at each university plan to submit their resignation letters voluntarily.

Cho Yoon-jung, an official from the Medical Professor Association, expressed concerns over the fact that the doctors’ strike has entered its fifth week. She stated that professors are at risk of dying from fatigue before they submit their resignation letters. Some members of the medical professor community suggest that if the government shows a willingness to talk, they might retract their resignation letters.

Bang Jae-seung, the interim head of the emergency committee of the Medical Professor Association, shared his personal opinion that if the government lifts legal actions against residents and creates an opportunity for dialogue, professors might withdraw their plans to submit resignation letters.

However, the opposition of professors against the government’s allocation plan for 2,000 students is spreading. On the day before the government’s announcement, medical school professors from universities such as Chung-Ang, Pusan, and Wonkwang released statements condemning the decision.

Starting next week, the government will suspend licenses for resident doctors who have not returned to clinical sites. Physicians who have received advance notice of license suspension have to submit their decisions on whether they will return to work or not by Mar. 25.

Park Min-soo, the Second Vice Minister of Health and Welfare, stated that they will proceed with the suspension of license qualifications as planned.